What were the significant planning and development events of 2017?
Following on the success of our 2015 and 2016 Year-in-Review processes, the Vancouver City Planning Commission is preparing for our third annual “Year-in-Review” panel event to reflect on happened over the past 12 months. We are looking to identify those City Council decisions and actions, and other city events that might lead to significant changes in the future of Vancouver, in its built form, economics, quality of life and sustainability.
Based on a workshop held in November, the following potential 2017 planning and development milestones were identified for consideration.
Click on links for description of event, potential significance, and background information.
- Development Permit Board turns down an application for first time
- City changes Chinatown policy to moderate development
- Short term rental accomodation regulations
- Increased housing choices in single-family zones
- Incentives for retention of character homes
- New Vancouver Housing Strategy approved
- New policy on parking in West End reflects change in attitude to parking
- Emily Carr University’s departure from Granville Island opens door for a renewed vision
- Collaborative planning process starts for False Creek South neighbourhood
- City engineer’s authority expanded for first time since 1944
- Embracing resilience as over-arching policy
- False Creek Flats policy initiative and rezoning
- Burrard Bridge upgraded for all road users
- Temporary modular shelter housing begins
- Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza Rebuilt
Other Emerging Milestones discussed in 2017
In addition to the above shortlist of emerging milestones, several other planning and development activities were discussed at the 2017 workshop. These activities were determined to be either covered in previous years, or still in process.
- Vacant home tax, Community Land Trust, Temporary Modular Housing (identified as an emerging 2016 milestone)
- Houses worth over $1M now the norm in Lower Mainland (included under 2015 milestone)
- Heather Streets Lands redevelopment (identified as part of an emerging 2014 milestone)
- Places for People Downtown consultations (too soon to be a contender, possibly in 2018)
- Council Approves Women’s Equity Strategy (this was passed in January 2018; will be considered for inclusion in next year’s list)
- Planning for Millennium Line Broadway Extension (Creating the Broadway Subway is the top priority from the Transportation 2040 Plan (a 2012 milestone).; Will consider recent activities for inclusion in future years)
- Small businesses threatened by increasing property rent and tax burden (monitoring for future inclusion)
- Seaside Greenway Completion (substantially completed in 2016)
- Millennium Line Broadway Extension (monitoring for future inclusion)
- VanSplash Aquatics Strategy (update of previous plan)
- VanPlay Community Dialogue (still in process)
- Marijuana dispensaries (provincial regulations issued in 2015
- New Emily Carr University of Art + Design campus (part of 2015 False Creeks Flats emerging milestone)
- Park Board amends Park Control bylaw governing cetaceans (not considered to be directly related to planning or development)
- Renaming Siwash Rock (decision not yet made)
- Arbutus Greenway (identified as an emerging 2016 milestone)
- YVR 2037 Master Plan (not a City of Vancouver decision or policy)
- Adding “+” to Canada 150 (part of an emerging 2016 milestone)
- NEFC/Viaducts, St Paul’s relocation (identified as emerging 2015 milestones)
- TransLink’s Transit Fare Review (still in progress; will consider in future years)